Degen Zoo, an NFT recreation modeled on the failed Crypto Zoo undertaking by Logan Paul, is flourishing with over 115 wallets registered to hitch the sport in just below 30 days of improvement. This success comes after the YouTube influencer allegedly rugged Crypto Zoo, citing the necessity for a number of years and hundreds of thousands of {dollars} of funding required to develop the undertaking. However what was Crypto Zoo all about?

What’s Crypto Zoo?

In August 2021, Logan Paul began utilizing his large on-line following to promote Crypto Zoo. Paul described it as “a extremely enjoyable recreation that makes you cash.” Impressed by Axie Infinity, consumers may purchase NFTs to breed unique animals that provided completely different yields within the recreation’s ZOO token. The undertaking minted out 10,000 NFTs for an approximate whole of $4m.

As time went on, improvement stalled and the sport by no means truly got here out. The ground of the gathering at present sits at .065 eth.

One other media persona and self-described rip-off detective, Coffeezilla, revealed a 3-part expose on YouTube concerning the undertaking in late 2022. Coffeezilla accused Paul of utilizing his platform to take advantage of his followers. Paul responded by promising to refund proceeds from the undertaking. He once more blamed the undertaking’s failure on large quantities of money and time required to supply the sport.

On Joe Rogan’s podcast this week, nonetheless, Coffeezilla said that Logan Paul has not refunded any of the cash but.

What’s Degen Zoo

As a troll of Logan Paul, Cristoph Zaknum got down to construct a recreation modeled on Crypto Zoo’s idea in simply 30 days. In Degen Zoo, gamers burn NFTs of 120 completely different endangered species for monetary achieve to simulate capitalism’s influence on animal extinction. It’s a fancy recreation, nonetheless in a testomony to Zaknum’s capability as a Web3 builder, he achieved his objective. He managed to publish Degen Zoo to testnet hours earlier than the 30 day deadline.

Throughout improvement, Zaknum posted day by day updates of his progress and raised over $700m in pledges from over 115k distinctive wallets. The cherry on high although was Zaknum’s promise to donate all proceeds from Degen Zoo to assist defend endangered species, a stark distinction to the YouTube star’s refusal to refund the cash he gained from Crypto Zoo.

Oftentimes, we’re reminded that celebrities are right here to take from Web3. They arrive, extract worth, and go away.  Logan Paul suits this sample along with his failed Crypto Zoo undertaking. By donating the proceeds of Degen Zoo to charity, Cristoph Zaknum personifies precisely who we needs to be supporting as a neighborhood as a substitute.